Day back in quarter-horse saddleHall-of-Famer rides winner at Sam Houston

Published 5:30 am, Saturday, September 11, 2004

So to see the Hall of Fame jockey on a quarter horse was a rare and strange sight.

But there he was at Sam Houston Race Park on Friday night in a match race with Danny Lavergne, the leading rider at Sam Houston's current quarter-horse meet.

Racing a quarter horse for the first time since 1973, Day rode Turbo Tex to a three-length victory over Lavergne and First Time Streaker. Day and Turbo Tex, trained by Jesse Yoakum, covered 400 yards in 20.49 seconds.

"This was great," said Day, who will ride at Belmont Park in today's $500,000 Woodward. "I was happy to be part of it."

Chaplains will benefit

Day has won nine Triple Crown races, including the 1992 Kentucky Derby on
Lil E. Tee
.

Day was at the track to benefit the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America.

"I've been involved for 20 years putting together days like this, where I can meet and greet fans, ride a race, all for the benefit of the Racetrack Chaplaincy," Day said.

On Friday, Day, 50, treated fans at Sam Houston Race Park to two autograph sessions and spoke at a benefit dinner in addition to the match race.

In a little less than two months, Day will be on a more familiar horse — a thoroughbred — as he competes in the Breeders' Cup Classic for a record 21st time.

The Breeders' Cup on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie will be the first time thoroughbred's richest day of racing will take place in Texas.

"It's going to help put you (Texas) on the (racing) map," Day said. "Not that you're not on the map, but the exposure garnered to that day of racing is going to be wonderful for Lone Star and the entire state.

"To what degree, it's hard to say going in, but it's got to be a win-win situation for the state of Texas and Lone Star (Park)."

Day said it was undetermined which horse and which trainer he would ride for in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic next month.

"I'm not sure who all is pointing for that race at this point," said Day, who has won four Classics and has 12 Breeders' Cup wins. "I don't know what our options might be. Obviously Perfect Drift would be a candidate; Azeri, there's some talk she might run in there. It will be awhile before all that settles itself out."

Day is the only jockey to have ridden in all 20 Breeders' Cups.

He has ridden several times at Sam Houston Race Park, including the Great State Challenge in December 2002 and the Connally this past April when he rode Quest Star to a fourth-place finish.

It's about the money

It's no secret what it would take to attract top-caliber jockeys like Day to Sam Houston on a regular bases — larger purses.

"The bottom line is the purse structure," Day said. "The better riders are chasing the better horses, the better horses are chasing the better money. That's what it all hinges on. So what it would take for better racing to come to Texas would be somehow to enhance the purse structure."